Fix: Windows not Remembering Window Positions and Sizes

Microsoft’s Windows operating system is known for its unusual bugs and errors. However, the problem of it not remembering window positions and sizes appears to be more of a user experience issue (in most cases) rather than it being a definite bug. People who use Windows very often when working, generally open and close multiple windows (or tabs) at one time. They want Windows to remember the dimensions and position they chose for a distinct window so that they don’t have to do it all over again when they reopen the window. However, when they reopen (or open a new) window, it doesn’t appear how they want it to be.

What Causes Window Size And Positioning Issue?

We will now briefly list some of the causes of this issue:

How Size And Position Changes Are Remembered In Windows 7 And 10?

Firstly, rather than thinking of it as an issue, if a user is aware of how Windows remembers its size and position settings, he/she will be in a better position to use it to his/her benefit. So let’s look into how Windows manages this. This is the rule:

“Windows 7 and 10 will remember the last window closed (of a single program) as a global position.”

Let’s simplify what that means. It basically means whatever window you last closed, the size and position you had chosen for it, will be used for the next window you open. Let’s take an example. For instance, you opened a folder named ‘Old Window’ and positioned it to the right side like this:

Now if you close it (or not), and open a new folder named ‘New Window’ here, It will automatically position and resize itself as the ‘Old Window’:

If you keep this in mind, you will exactly know when Windows does the resizing/repositioning and when it doesn’t.

There is an important point to note. The remembrance part only works for a particular program type. For instance, if you close a window of File Explorer and open a new window of Photos, the auto-positioning and resizing won’t be the same for both Photos window and File Explorer window because both windows are of different programs.

So that’s how sizing and positioning work for windows. Now, if your Windows is not even remembering the last closed window size, then it means there is some issue that needs to be resolved. Lets, look at some of the possible solutions you can try.

Method 1: Cascading

Cascading is one possible fix to the issue. Follow the given steps below:

1. Firstly, Restart your computer. This is an optional step but it might help in some cases.
2. Now open any window(like File Explorer), of which size and position you want to remember.
3. Right-click on the Taskbar (the bar at the bottom of the screen).
4. Choose the Cascade windows option (in case of Windows 10).

   

5. This will resize the window to a pre-defined size. After that, you can expand the window to your desired size and position. Then close it. It should open to that size and position next time you open it.

Method 2: Booting Windows In Safe Mode And Reproducing The Issue

If you are still encountering the issue of Windows not remembering window sizes and positions (even for the last closed window), then you could try booting your Windows in Safe mode:

Steps to boot Windows 10 in safe mode are mentioned below:

1. 1. Click the Windows button in the bottom left corner.
   2. Now, click the Power Button.
   3. Hold down the Shift key and click Restart.
   4. Now, choose the Troubleshoot option and afterward, Advanced options.
   5. Now in advanced options, choose Start-up settings and then click the Restart button.
   6. Various options will be displayed on restart. Press F4 to boot Windows in safe mode.

Once booting your Windows in safe mode. Check if the issue persists.

1. 1. That is open a File Explorer window.
   2. Reposition it to the right side and maybe resize it.
   3. Close the window.
   4. Reopen it.
   5. If the window does not appear on the right with changed size. Then the issue still exists.

If booting fixed the problem, then it’s highly likely that some installed software is interfering with your Windows settings. You could also try doing a virus scan to help identify the issue.

Method 3: Using Third-Party Solutions

If no above solution works. Then you could always use third-party solutions such as WinSize2 that can help you with resizing and moving windows for multiple windows at once. WinSize2 is a free solution available for all Windows versions (as stated on their website). WinSize2 can help you remember window size and position changes for each window you open regardless of its type and opening sequence. How does it do that?

WinSize2 identifies a particular window position and its size by remembering its title. Each time when a user opens a window, WinSize2 matches the title with the internal record of titles stored within the software.

Installation:

1. To get started, download WinSize2 here.
   

1. After downloading, unzip the file named “WinSize2_2.38.04.zip” which is likely placed in your downloads folder.
2. The next step would be to run “WinSize2_Update.exe” and follow the instructions to install the software. The program runs on the background when installed.

Usage:

A special hotkey Ctrl+Alt+Z manages all activities of WinSize2. Pressing the hotkey 1, 2 or 3 times calls these functions mentioned below:

• One time, you can store the position and size of any window or overwrite it.
• Two times, you can delete the list entry for a window which you saved to be remembered.
• Three times, you can change the Special Parameters, to set options for any title in the list of WinSize2.

You can find more details about WinSize2 here. There is also a guidebook available once you download the software.

Another well-recognized program you can use is WindowManager by DeskSoft. It’s not free but you can use it for a 30-day free trial.